Articles

Finding a new favorite band through a performance or recording is one of the ultimate joys of being a music fan. Last June, at the California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley, the Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee took the stage Friday afternoon for their first set of the weekend.  Three songs into…

Two Decades of Life, Music, and Personal Growth for the Infamous Stringdusters “Life is a constant journey, always changing, always presenting challenges and always forcing you to evolve,” says Infamous Stringdusters banjo-picker Chris Pandolfi. Pandolfi is reflecting on twenty years of the Infamous Stringdusters as a band. In those twenty years, the Stringdusters established themselves…

In the early days of the IBMA conference, kids’ involvement was nearly non-existent.  Former IBMA president, Pete Wernick—who put together a kids band to perform at the 1993 IBMA awards show—explains, “In 1993 when the Bluegrass Youth All-Stars appeared on the awards show, that was the first time that kids had ever been on stage…

Dr. Banjo Turns 80 As a kid growing up in the Bronx in the 1950s, Pete Wernick lived within a subway ride of Yankee Stadium. For 75 cents, he could get a seat in the bleachers and spend an afternoon cheering on his heroes — Mantle, Berra, Whitey Ford, et. al. While he did play…

The Knackered Ramblers is a duo of well-known artists, Laura Boosinger (banjo) and Mike Compton (mandolin). Boosinger is based in Asheville, North Carolina, while Compton lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Both are long-time veterans of traditional music styles that include bluegrass, old-time, string band, and gospel. Boosinger’s clawhammer style of banjo has been heard…

Tim May and Steve Smith had met while teaching at Camp Bluegrass in 2012; a friendship was sparked that would ignite an enduring musical journey. Five albums and a slew of shows across the country have ensued in the following years, leading up to their latest duo album Hillsboro Bay Incident.  Like their predecessors such…